New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-25
THE MAMMOTH OF KOTELNOI.
A TALK WITH LIEUTENANT sCHEUTzE.
SUGGESTIONS OF THE NATIVES OF THE NEW
SIBERIAN IsLANDs-ARCTIC EXPLOITATION.

syPERsTIIIONs or THE NATIVES OF THE NEW
SIBERIAN IsLANDs-ARcTIC EXPLOITATION.
Lieutenant Scheutxe, OF tho United States Navy,
tho Arctic explorer was In town last week He was
conyersng pleasantly with party Of friends about
snow ice and uammoths when a TRIBUNE reporter ran
scross him Ia the St James
"a l:usaan expedition" he was saying, I" has just
rot back from the New siberian Islands. DR.. Bunga
sud Baron Toll had charge Of it. wintered with them
In los, 90 ut the mouth OF the Yana River, Northern
Siberia. and they crossed over Ill The spring VI 1901
70 tho islands. Cne Of the principal eeuis Of their
expedition has boon the discovery OF q mammoth on
Koten,i tho most westerly point Of the New siberian
lsands Tho scientists Of Europe say tho mammoth
l. probably ton thousand yeaas DID, and it had been
kept In prcsc alton In tho natural rolrgeratar thao
exists up there. The shors VI those islands broa1
away continually and that was how they discovered
this animal Tey got It's flesh and It's SKIN and thc
whole bouy compete.
"1ho supcrstuous natives know Of the existence Of
thesc maInuoths, but won't tell you anything about
thcm Even II they know that you are lhere log Inc
Though a Wnoo winter without giving you ANY
ldcnnsio tho subject II you ask them they
ksaa for. 1 told n native once that 4 wanted
one ior the sake OF the meat, and although he had
said. What do you want to cat the meat Tor At
stInksl'--thus trapping hinsel very neatly. Ysu
Hay guess wnat the Size Of a mammoth Is when tell
you tbat tie the Russian expedition got stands
q high this nom Tho natives on tho coast gather
10 Ya,u,sz for sale They are made OF tne purest
wory and very huge. They measure perhaps a
foot and half In diameter at the and curl uown
1hey arc not like elephant tusks, which cIn baca.
y0n get good specimen OF the mammoth tusk you
stand upright In tho curve OF II. The natives,
In the place whore IL. Bunga and lived, though thcy
eaid nothing about manraoths TO US, were actually
feeding their seddogs the flesh and using the skin
for sled-dog harness.
sBut tho natives are a queer lot In many ways.
@hile Dr.. Bunga and his party were on circumpolar
expedition they took meteorological obsorv atoms The
natives In little ncighboring village watched thom
Nuestio0less and silent for two years. and finally
concluded: Now wo know what this expedition L.
for. The White Car has sent 1t out lie has
star already aud these men trying to catch another
for him.
paper got back homo all right They found that the
lslAnds wcro exactly Of the same formation a. the
mainland. and had apparently been separated from
BY some convulsion VI nature Thoy had good time
q tho islands and took some natives with them. but
whom they returned In tho fall the Ice parted they
had not any watrr and thsy had to broak up part OF
ne heavy sheds TO mako IRE to melt snow and ioe
However. they met some natives who took them down
= Kasateh In safety. am looking for very inter
Do you think the northwest passage will be
= established route 7" was asked OF the Lieutenant
A.. The northwest pasSaSei Pshaw! fndge!' was
xertA Pole Z"
!. swrh plenty Of men and plenty Of money believe
9st It could easily DO done. Now suppose Britain
Luton. which would establish stauons stages
~ moved north~ar.l- leave tho lame dueks' a.
os, snd gather them up they returned,-I believe
would DO successful"